Animals of the Zoo  Amur tiger (with video)

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Species: Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Individuals: The Detroit Zoo is home to two Amur tigers: Kisa, a 9-year-old female; and Kolyma, a 13-year-old male, who recently came to the Detroit Zoo from the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin as part of a three-way “tiger trade” in an effort to encourage successful breeding. The breeding plan attempts to ensure genetically healthy, diverse and self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species.

“Neither Kolyma nor Kisa has produced offspring but we are hopeful that will change,” said Detroit Zoo Curator of Mammals Bob Lessnau. But he cautioned, “Animals are individuals and there are no guarantees of success.”

Camo cover: Tigers have a distinctive orange and white coat, with black stripes. Tigers are the only cats with striped fur. They use the coats as camouflage, so they can creep close to their intended victims without being detected.

Average life span: Up to 15 years in the wild. Tigers can live to 20 or more in captivity.

Length: Head and body, 5-6 feet; tail, 2-3 feet. Tigers are the largest felid, with a total length from 7-10 feet.

Weight: 250-600 poundsBirth: Tigers are loners, except when mating or when females are rearing their young. Females give birth to litters, usually 3-4 cubs, which stay with their mother for 2-3 years as they learn to hunt and survive on their own. Cubs have a high mortality rate. Males do not help with child rearing.

Keep away: They scent mark their territories to keep other tigers away. The territories of male tigers are larger than those of females, and can overlap the territories of several females. Territory size is determined by food availability.

Know you know: A tiger’s roar can be heard up to two miles away. Tigers can leap more than 30 feet.

Protection status: Endangered. Illegal hunting and habitat destruction have decimated tiger populations. Three tiger subspecies became extinct during the 20th century. There could be as few as only 3,200 wild tigers remaining. Only 450 Amur tigers are estimated to remain in the wild.

Detroit Zoo information: 248-541-5717, www.detroitzoo.org.

Editor’s note: Animals of the Zoo is a weekly series. Next: Japanese macaque.